It should come as no surprise to anyone that Democrats and Republicans square off on opposite sides of the net neutrality debate.

As a whole, Democratic lawmakers are against the proposed changes to FCC regulations that would allow ISPs to charge for VIP fast-lane treatment on their broadband networks. "Without net neutrality, the internet as we know it ends," said Sen. Ron Wyden, D Oregon, in July 2017. "It's just that simple" [source: Romm]. Republicans, too, are fighting in the name of innovation and fair play. Their argument is that unnecessary government regulations — in this case, the Obama administration's ban on fast lanes — are the greatest hindrance to innovation. If a company engages in anti-competitive practices, some Republican lawmakers argue, then the government can prosecute them using existing antitrust laws [source: Nagesh]. According to their stance, new regulations discourage new ideas, not protect them.